Britain to pull out 5,500 troops from Iraq: Report

[Rose Siding]

Britain plans to reduce the size of its military force in Iraq from 9,000 to 3,500 soldiers within a year and increase its troops in Afghanistan in a renewed bid to hunt down Osama bin Laden and other senior Al-Qaeda figures reportedly hiding close to the country's border with Pakistan, a leading London newspaper said on Sunday.

The withdrawals from Iraq could begin by April next year because coalition forces would have trained enough members of the Iraqi defence and police forces to take control of security throughout Iraq, according to the report in The Sunday Telegraph.

Lt Gen James Conway of the US marines recently said that the withdrawal of American troops within the same time frame as the British was possible because Iraqis were "starting to take control of their own situation".

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1304763,00050003.htm

The article is here- registration only
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?&_DARGS=/core/lowerHeaderBarFrag.jhtml

[hippiepunk]

1. "starting to take control of their own situation"

horseshit! They are getting the hell out of there as fast as they can.

[Frederik]

4. They are

starting to take control of their own situation. Starting yesterday, with the attack on Abu Ghraib, which has been totally ignored by US media.

[omulcol]

12. Not sure how to take that comment - but

British troops are going nowhere. The UK oil industry invested millions before Saddam threw them out ... and they want their investments back ... with interest.

[zanne]

15. Mission Accomplished!

Where have I heard that before?

[ECH1969]

2. Don't believe anything that comes out before the election

This is all part of Tony's campaign.

[tuvor]

3. My first thought was that it was a campaign issue.

They vote next month, don't they?

[whistle]

5. Britain has a vote, where does Blair stand in the polls and who ...

...are his opponents?

[Anarcho-Socialist]

21. The Labour Party are ahead in the polls

State of the parties - Guardian/ICM poll, March 2005:

Labour 40% (+3)
Conservatives 32% (-2)
Liberal Democrats 20% (-1)
Others 7%* (-1)

Labour lead: 8%

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/polls/

Only Labour and Conservatives have a realistic chance of winning.

Labour's domestic policies are a mixture of social democracy and neo-liberalism. It's foreign policy is interventionist.

Conservatives' domestic policies are a mixture of reactionary conservatism with some neo-conservative tendencies. It's foreign policy is even more interventionist than Labour.

The Liberal Democrats' domestic policies are liberal with some neo-liberal elements (but these are less profound). It's foreign policy is generally passive/non-confrontational.

[cliss]

7. I believe elections are in August. Emad?

Now, I have a question about the British troops, which I've never been able to figure out. I read about 1 1/2 years ago that the UK troops were being funded by a trust fund that was supposedly going to run out in June of last year.

I was waiting to see what happened, as the money was supposedly running out. Nothing. The troops still stayed there. I never heard anything more about this issue, dead silence.

I'm assuming here that the US picked up the tab for Tony's Triumphant Brigade.

Any ideas on how much this is costing the UK? I'm not sure if they can afford it.

[Henny Penny]

8. uk elections...

a date has not yet been set, but all the parties are already campaigning. There was a rumour that early May had been chosen, but so far, no confirmation.

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. May 5th is the universally expected date

Blair was going to ask the queen for the formal dissolving of parliament on Monday, but has put it off till Tuesday so as not to clash with a memorial service for the Pope in Westminster Cathedral.

Funding: Gordon Brown authorises a bit more whenever it's needed (spending like that has been put inside general spending plans and votes). That story says Iraq and Afghanistan have cost the UK £4.4 billion by the end of 2004.

[omulcol]

13. Guess the trust fund was re-named - and

is now commonly known as "Tax, Tax, Tax and more Tax " !

Never heard anything in relation to trust funds ...though an amount of some billions of GB Pounds were set aside for the Invasion by the government. Some time ago ... around May ? June? or so ... news emerged that the Iraqi invasion had so far cost UK tax payers 1 Billion pounds. Obviously that's risen sharply since extra troops have been sent , including those of the Territorial Army, ( Voluntary part timers)

Since hearing, or reading this story I'm not aware of any other admission with regard to costs... but be assured, Joe Public is footing the bill .... whatever the amount - and paid for in exactly the same way Americans pay ...... from taxation !


Since writing, I found a link for anyone interested in reading !

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12956,1205271,00.html

[0007]

9. ten four from niner that's a copy

Tony baby is in campaign form while drinking champagne & winking at his butt boy junior, 'eh?

[DulceDecorum]

6. Didn't they just say they were going to INCREASE them?

I could have sworn that they said that.

BOTH the British and the Americans were going to increase troop size
-- or so I thought, before I got Schiavoed.

Oh well,
that is what comes of taking a tiger by the tail.
Let's go bomb Syria and Lebanon and North Korea.
And France.

[0007]

10. Aye mate, on the slow day after ALL the bombing is done we can stick our

pricks in the mashed potatoes at the Royal Ball.

[leftchick]

14. Yes indeed....

they were about to send several hundred more troops to Iraq about a month ago. :shrug:

[Moderator]

16. kick to combine

[RCPJAP]

17. Britain to pull 5,500 troops out of Iraq

Defence chiefs are planning to reduce the size of the British military force in Iraq from 9,000 to 3,500 troops within 12 months as part of a phased withdrawal from Iraq, The Telegraph can reveal.

In the first stage of Britain's "exit strategy", troops will be withdrawn from three of the Army's five military bases in southern Iraq by April 2006.

The move also fits in with a plan to increase British troop numbers in Afghanistan in a renewed attempt to hunt down Osama bin Laden and other senior al-Qa'eda figures who are believed to be hiding close to the country's border with Pakistan.

Senior American and British military figures believe that withdrawals can begin by April next year because coalition forces will have trained enough members of the Iraqi defence and police forces to take control of security throughout Iraq.

The disclosure coincides with an announcement by a senior United States Marine Corps general that America would probably start withdrawing its troops in 12 to 24 months.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/04/03/nirq03.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/04/03/ixnewstop.html

[Deja Q]

18. Hmmm. Reality or excuse to cover up their mistake of going there at all?

[rodeodance]

19. starting in April, 2006**--this is re-election ploy by Blair.

[truebrit71]

20. Absolutely what it is...

..this is nothing but an election sweetener...

They must be worried about their majority....

[oasis]

23. "re-election ploy by Blair". Tony overlooks one minor detail, unlike

like dumbass U.S.voters, folks in the U.K. actually read.

[chlamor]

22. kick

[Moderator]

24. kick to combine

[lovuian]

25. UK planning to pull British troops out of Iraq

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=ebd90874a6a66233

Big News Network.com Monday 4th April, 2005

Britain is reportedly planning to reduce Britain's military presence in Iraq from 9,000 to 3,500 troops within 12 months as part of a phased withdrawal.

The troops will be pulled from three of the British army's five military bases in southern Iraq by April 2006, the Independent reported Sunday.

The move, the first stage of Britain's exit strategy, coincides with plans to send more British troops to Afghanistan for renewed efforts to hunt down Osama bin Laden and other senior al-Qaida figures believed to be hiding in the area, the Independent said.

more...

The good news is America is going to start pull out too... at least thats what they are telling our troops there!!!

[Lucky Luciano]

26. Prescott Bush should have pulled out. nt

[peacebird]

27. LOL!

[lavenderdiva]

31. love it!

:rofl:

[Love Bug]

28. Well, yeah, there's an election in May

Blair's just looking to his own future.

[ckramer]

29. What coalition?

People are rushing to the door!

[Algorem]

30. Bullsh and Bliar sitting in a tree

Chop down the fucking tree.

[xchrom]

32. let's see my 5 new elections and now this...

i wonder if these two are connected:eyes: